Hello!
It's been months since my last post - you've guessed it, I haven't been caching much! However, I've been working towards a cache known as TWW - when I find it, I'll write about it and the feeder caches!
Also, on Sunday I attended the 2014 CacheWalker Twixmas Bash, rescued by strongsRus and Calabrian Dreamer who executed a magnificent and uplifting group walk and a great, welcoming event in Shenington with delicious bacon butties by RTM.
Don't think I'm going to go in to the details though (I rambled on way too much in my log anyway) as this is my annual post reviewing my year's caching.
The year began with a find rate of 43/day - that would have equated to over 15,000 finds over the year. Of course, that's impossible - I'd be surprised if anyone could find 43 caches every day of the year. Yet, 43 a week is perhaps feasible at a push - that'd have upped my count by over 2,000. You've guessed it, I couldn't keep that up either.
In fact, I only found 149 caches this year - that's nearly half the total I found last year, which I already thought was the lowest I could go. What's more, I beat my own slump record - I went 128 days without a single find.
I wouldn't believe you if you said that I've been caching for five years - I'm certainly not where I wanted to be numbers-wise; I hit 1,000 in April 2012 and had aimed to hit 2,000 by December 2013 at the very, very latest; I've still got 296 caches to go!
But, you know what, who cares. I've felt disillusioned with Geocaching recently, but I hope that's about to change. It is a very different scene to how it was five years ago, with new caches and walks being of low standards compared to the 'classics' I remember from my early caching days. Change can be good though, and there are some excellent new concepts for caches popping up; such as what I've seen in the feeder caches for the TWW cache I'm working towards.
This year began with a surprisingly good larger series, before finding my first Lab Cache, completing a CacheWalker walk by Wrighty, a fantastic series in the heart of Gloucestershire, the summiting of two mountains, some great caches in Spain and a superb Wiltshire loop before we concluded the year with the Twixmas event's Shenington Shuffle series.
As is now tradition, I have selected my cache of the year. The title goes to 'Ashton Circular 1- ABFTN Dog & Bone' (GC5AWQ0) - as one of the feeder caches for TWW, I shan't go in to too much detail as I'll talk you through it in a future post. I will, however, say that the first stage was fantastic, the second good and solvable, the twist brilliant and the container superb and well-stocked - it's easy to see why everyone who's found the cache has awarded it a favourite point! Not far behind were El Predró de Pals (GCVBCR), The First in Wales (GC2BA) and the CacheWalker Twixmas event day (GC5HGYE). If I had found more caches the whole result could have been different - for what I found, though, the winner and runners-up are no-brainers!
So, what does 2015 hold? Well, only time will tell - I'd love to finally hit 2,000, but I've said that for three consecutive years now - of course I'm going to try, though. Most of all, I want 2015 to be the year I truly rediscover Geocaching - enough with these milestones, stats challenges and find rates. Bring on the gems - virtuals in fascinating locations, great caches in beautiful spots, and loops so good that you realise why you've stuck with the hobby for so many years. I want to rediscover the brilliance of the sport; be taken to new locations, enjoy new experiences and be wowed by fantastic caches.
Happy New Year - hopefully you too will consider re-approaching Geocaching in the light you most enjoy it in.
Griff Grof
